SolveYourProblem Article Series: Shopping
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How To Furnish Your Home on the Cheap

Do you have a college student in your family? Are you trying to furnish a room in your home? Perhaps you are living on a shoestring budget and still need something to sit on, sleep on, or store your books on. In the past, furnishing your home on the cheap meant having to purchase the pasteboard offerings of the local big box stores – you know the kinds of furniture they sell: cheaply made, edges not lining up, and with about as much durability as a pair of cheap running socks.

Actually there are a number of thoughtful shopping tips for furnishing your home on the cheap!

Think floor models. Did you know that many furniture retailers frequently sell their floor models for pennies on the dollar? These items cannot be sold as new, might have a bit of light wear and tear – nothing you could not fix with a bit of finesse and a wood-colored pencil – and may sometimes miss the original packaging it came in. Yet when you are looking for a bookshelf, it does not really matter if you can get the original packaging. After all, you will not be taking it down and reassembling it over and over again.

Visit estate sales. These sales are held – most often – by professional companies who are called in to liquidate the assets of someone who may either have died, or who may be going into an assisted living situation where most of the furniture will not taken along. These sales oftentimes feature well-made furniture that can be had at pennies on the dollar, as long as you provide your own haul away service. Bring a friend who owns a truck, and you might leave with a wonderful bed and bedroom set for a couple hundred dollars!

Visit a live auction. Once again, bring along your friend with the truck! Furnishings may be had there because the auction might be a police auction, it might be a charity of fundraising auction, or simply a public auction. Generally speaking, you will be able to preview what will be auctioned off, and if you see something you like, it is not a bad idea to make a detailed note of the items. On the day of the auction, determine how much you are willing to spend on the item, and exercise extreme discipline if the purchase price goes over your limit.

Attend moving sales. Usually held like garage sales, the realtor often puts on these sales and you will be able to get great deals on bulky items the family simply does not want to take along to their new home.

Restore furniture. Drive through the alleys in the well-to-do neighborhoods, and you will be surprised at the kinds of furniture you will find. Old desks, chairs, and even dressers are yours for the taking! If you are handy with a sander, a bit of wood glue, and some paint of stain, you will be able to add some beautifully restored furniture to your home!

Shop your local warehouse store. Oftentimes these stores have great deals on selected furniture items, but act quickly! These stores will quickly sell out of their inventories and most often these deals only happen once, not on a continuous basis.

As you can see, shopping for furniture does not mean that you will have to spend a mint at your local furniture store. Similarly, you do not have to resign yourself to second and third-rate furniture from your big box stores that will be more aggravation than it is really worth. Plan your shopping trip carefully, do not be afraid to ask for bargains, and you will be surprised what you will find!

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SolveYourProblem.com : 2008

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